This invention relates generally to apparatus for dispensing packaged flexible wire, cable, rope and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a reinforced packaged unreeling system facilitating the storage, handling and dispensing of the material therefrom and the support of the material during all phases of use.
The device of the present invention is ordinarily utilized in conjunction with a packaged winding of flexible material, such as wire, which is wound in a manner permitting the flexible material to be unwound through a radial opening provided in the central, material supporting core thereof. The innermost free end of the material can thereby be drawn out or unwound through the core without twisting, snarling, and kinking of the material.
Variations of internal core-type unwinding method of flexible material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,666,200; 3,677,491; 3,178,130; and 3,689,005 which show unwinding variations. Reference is made to these patents for explanatory and descriptive purposes relative to known internal winding techniques.
While numerous flexible wound materials such as wire, cable, filaments, rope, etc. can utilize the invention, wire shall be referred to hereinafter for descriptive purposes as an embodiment hereof. Packaged wire windings are commonly contained in cardboard containers or boxes to facilitate storage, handling and shipment. Frequently, a side of such a cardboard container is constructed with a central opening permitting the innermost free wire end to be withdrawn or unwound from the container without opening the container. It has been found, however, that during the wire unwinding or dispensing process the container, and particularly the area around the central opening of the cardboard container or box, is deformed or damaged due to the bending, rubbing and abrading action of the wire against the container or box edge defining the central withdrawal opening as the wire is pulled under relatively high tension from the container. Frequently, container damage is so severe that it may be completely destroyed or rendered useless before all of the wire can be dispensed.